Troyan monastery, dedicated to the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary, is the largest in the Balkan Range. According to legend, it was founded at the end of the 14th century be a hermit who settled in this place. The buildings we see today were erected at the beginning of the 19th century when the monastery prospered. To reach the monastery church you have to pass through three courtyards – for the faithful, for the monastery workshops and for the monks. The church was built in 1835 and was decorated by the famous artist Zahari Zograph. On one of the outer walls he painted something unusual – a lion and an elephant, which symbolize the might and calm of the Bulgarian people. In turn, the iconostasis in the church was created by skillful woodcarvers from the nearby town of Tryavna.
Troyan monastery has its guardian icon. This is the miracle-working icon of the Blessed Virgin called the Three-handed. It was donated to the monastery by an Athonite monk who passed through on his way to Romania. On the feast of the Dormition of the Virgin on August 15 the icon is taken out of the church and believers touch it for good health.